Despite these last few warm days I think we can all agree that here in the upper Midwest, winter is right around the corner. And with that it means extra layers and extra moisture are necessary for us who live here all year long. Now, believe it or not I don’t mind the extra layers or even the sting of the wind in my eyes. What really gets to me is the dry patches that appear on my face during this time of year. Skin is the largest organ on our bodies and every time I look in the mirror from December until April I am reminded of how I am neglecting mine. Well not anymore! This year I am turning over a new leaf and vow to be a skincare queen. Lucky for me, I work in a place that gives me access to not just beauty products but clean and affordable ones. So let’s get into it; my winter skincare routine.

This first step in my new and improved beauty routine was to actually invest in a cleanser instead of going strong with the bar of soap I have been using. Now, I prefer a creamy cleanser so I have chosen the Ahoy Love by Earth Harbor. But there is also the Oasis (gel cleanser) and Sunshine Dew (oil cleanser) if a thinner consistency is more your speed. And why am I choosing a cleanser over my raggedy bar of soap? Well first and foremost, cleanser is designed to, well, cleanse your face. Bar soap is not. Enough said, moving on. The ahoy love is great for both morning and night and is useful on all skin-types. My skin is quite sensitive but with Ahoy Love I can be sure that no harsh products touch my precious pores because Earth Harbor, as a company, is vegan, cruelty-free, 100% non-GMO, nontoxic, and a ton of other fantastic things.

My next layer is a toner; I am partial to flowery scents so I have chosen the Rose Hydrating Mist by Soprano Labs. This mist is an alcohol free toner that both hydrates and calms my skin after the cleanser. Toner is used to refresh the skin and prepare it to absorb the next products you apply. I like to give my face a good spritz and then rub the liquid in with my fingers but you can also spritz some toner on a reusable cotton round and apply that way.

This next one is optional if you have clear, dewy and supple skin. I, however, do not, so this one is a necessity for me. I treat my skin with Glow Juice from Earth Harbor, but only at night, since it’s a bit more time consuming than the other steps. One of my main issues is the amount of oil that my face produces on the daily. I mean it, it’s gross, you could power a car with the layers of grease I wash off at night. I apply the glow juice like a face mask and leave it on for three minutes before I gently wash it off with water to lessen the oil production and even out my skin tone.

The next step is to apply a serum to put some good oils back into the skin. I chose the Calming & Healing facial oil by Soprano Labs. My acne flare ups are quite consistent otherwise I would have chosen the Age Delay facial oil. The main job of a serum is to give your skin the dermis deep moisture it needs while also protecting against everyday stressors. All of the Soprano Labs serums are non-comedogenic (does not clog the pores) and hypoallergenic so your skin can feel moisturized, soft, and protected without the worry of grease.

The penultimate step in my routine is to moisturize. To be fair, I had this step in my previous skincare life but it was a moisturizer full of phthalates and parabens. It was high time to clean up the products I have been using. For my clean moisturizer I have chosen the viral Mermaid Milk by Earth Harbor. It is lightweight and can be worn under makeup or alone. The best part is that it also has a semi-matte finish because if dewy skin is not a New Years resolution, I don’t know what is.

My final step, I only add this step to my morning routine, is SPF! That’s right, you still need sun protection even when it's cloudy and -12* F outside. In fact, the sun's rays are stronger during the winter because the ozone layer is at its thinnest, not to mention the snow can reflect these rays and increase their intensity. All that to say; don’t skip the SPF! I chose Eclipse by Earth Harbor for my final step. This is a sheer, mineral sunscreen with SPF 30 and protects against UVA and UVB rays, blue light, pollution damage, and skin aging. And before you ask; no it does not leave a white cast on your skin, so rock those no make up days to let that gorgeous skin breathe!

And that’s it! A roughly 5 step routine for day and night using some of the best clean beauty products in the market. I will be using this routine all winter and come spring my face will be full of moisture and may have even aged backwards! I hope you all still recognize me, see you then.

Cheers!

Angelina

Winter Skincare Routine